the house?"

"I don't know--perhaps; I was exasperated at the outrage they were
perpetrating in the name of law."

"Then you did make him lie?"

"Yes, if you call it lying to protect your own property from robbers,
I did make him lie!"

"More than once?"

"I don't know."

"Did you make him steal?"

"I made him take what belonged to us."

"Did you make him _steal_, I say!"

"Call it what you like!" shouted the angered and excited old man.
He had become so annoyed and harassed by this persistent, searching
cross-examination that he was growing reckless and telling the truth
in spite of himself. Besides, it seemed to him that Goodlaw must know
all about Ralph's life with him, and he dared not go far astray in his
answers.

But the lawyer knew only what Craft himself was disclosing. He based
each question on the answers that had preceded it, long practice
having enabled him to estimate closely what was lying in the mind of
the witness.

"And so," continued Goodlaw, "when you returned from one of your trips
into the country you found that the boy had disappeared?"

"He had."

"Were you surprised at that?"

"Yes, I was."

"Had you any idea why he went away?"

"None whatever. He was well fed and clothed and cared for."

"Did it ever occur to you that the Almighty made some boys with hearts
so honest that they had rather starve and die by the roadside than be
made to lie and steal at home?"

The old man did not answer, he was too greatly surprised and angered
to reply.

"Well," said Sharpman, calmly, "I don't know, if your Honor please,
that the witness is bound to be sufficiently versed in the subject of
Christian ethics to answer questions of that kind."

"He need not answer it," said the judge.

Then Sharpman continued, more vehemently: "The cross-examination,
as conducted by the eminent counsel, has, thus far, been simply an
outrage on professional courtesy. I ask now that the gentleman be
confined to questions which are germane to the issue and decently
put."

"I have but a few more questions to ask," said Goodlaw.

Turning to the witness again, he continued: "If you succeed in
establishing this boy's identity, you will have a bill to present for
care and moneys expended and services performed on his account, will
you not?"

"I expect so; yes, sir."

"As the service continued through a period of years, the bill will
amount now to quite a large sum, I presume?"

"Yes, I nave done a g